Naidu points out at CS and CM for neglecting Coronavirus threat in AP

Amaravati: Government has been putting the lives of the people of the state at risk only for the sake of political gains, lambasted the TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday while reacting to a letter written by the Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney to State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar.

Addressing at a press conference at the party headquarters at Atmakur in Mangalagiri, Naidu described the Chief Secretary as an irresponsible IAS officer of the State.

He said that in her letter, she stated that there was no likelihood of an outbreak of coronavirus in the State in the next 3 to 4 weeks. Naidu asked how CS can afford to be negligent being a senior IAS officer while, in his own style, the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was adamant and ignorant of the huge health risk.

Naidu said that over 6,777 persons returned to AP from foreign countries in the past few weeks. There was no clarity yet whether this government has taken steps to identify all of them for taking preventive measures against the virus. All states are following due protocols to isolate foreign returnees to give treatment to them for 14 days and discharge them only after they test negative.

TDP supremo demanded that the YSRCP government clarify whether it has followed all guidelines given by the Central government to keep a close vigil on foreign returnees. How can CS tell that only one positive case is detected in AP and that too the patient came from Italy? But the fact is that the virus is spreading with a multiplier effect in different countries.

Stating that coronavirus is highly contagious through multiple touchpoints, Naidu said that in just three to four weeks, this virus has grown in alarming proportions shaking countries like Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and so on. In Italy, only 3 cases were reported in the first week but the number went up to 21,157 in five weeks. He appealed to CM and CS not to play with the lives of people for their narrow political ends.

The CS gave safety certification on the virus threat obviously under the influence of the CM Office, he observed. The whole people of the state would suffer if the virus spreads and becomes unmanageable in a place where there is comparatively very population density.

Naidu gave a call to the people to remain alert at their individual levels and take a due care to avoid public contact. People should avoid touchpoints in public places like door handles, electric buttons, shop counters, tables in hotels, playgrounds, swings, buses, trains, etc.

He deplored that when the pandemic was threatening and shaking the world, CM was still holding meetings with former IAS officer Ramakant Reddy on how to get a postponement of elections cancelled.

On another hand, Naidu took strong objection to the arrest of a TDP social media activist Rasool in Mangalagiri for his post on YSRCP MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy's hospitalisation. He asked why DGP Gautam Sawang did not take any action when more damaging stories and posts were posted against women by YSRCP activists.